The Elk County Council on the Arts [ECCOTA] in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts [PCA] awarded 15 grants to organizations in Cameron, Clarion, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties.
On Wednesday evening, ECCOTA and the PCA awarded $19,779 in grant funds through the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts [PPA] program to organizations to support arts activities in the region.
"Since early 2000 the PCA looked at how the state was getting its art funding and they saw that there was a disconnect," said Abbi Peters, ECCOTA executive director. "There were certain areas in the state that were getting funding and other parts that weren't applying and getting distribution of the money."
According to Peters, the PPA partners with art organizations throughout the state to act as administrators for the funding. The PCA then receives the initial state funding and distributes it to organizations.
"And we [ECCOTA] act as the local grassroots group for all of the organizations to get that money," Peters said. "We are the local go-to for the seven counties in the area. We distribute all of the information and make sure projects are applying and if people have questions on how to apply or use the granting system, they come to me."
Peters said a local group of panelists review the applications and score them based on a funding formula for an allocated amount based on the area.
Each grant request can be up to $3,000.
"Some people request exactly what they need, which, in some instances, is more like $400… some applications go for the full $3,000, but don't necessarily receive it."

Pick up a copy of the Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 edition of The Ridgway Record for more.

Copyright 2010 Ridgway Record

Ridgway, Pa. – The Elk County Council on the Arts [ECCOTA] in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts [PCA] awarded 15 grants to organizations in Cameron, Clarion, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties.